Midlife Crisis

My son Aaron and I took a walk through the lowlands at the foot of the Laurentian Divide yesterday. We chatted about his upcoming trip to Vietnam. At 45, he’s decided to take a month off from his job and visit a girlfriend who teaches English in Ho Chi Minh City, instead of buying a motorcycle like I did when I was going through my midlife crisis.

Some fathers might discourage such a thing, but I say go for it! Soon you’ll be too old to gallivant around the globe, and all you’ll have is memories, so make them worthwhile.

be like the mountain–

keep your feet on the ground

but reach for the sky

–Photo by me

sunday thoughts

it was on an old mine dump like this one

that a relative of mine lost his life

it was the first funeral i’d been to

and i sat with his kids and his wife

to a young child, it seemed so surreal

and i would take some time to mend

but now death comes calling so often

it feels like he’s an old friend

–photo by me

spring ahead

it’s time to write a poem, no doubt,

but what am i to muse about?

our country’s state is looking sad–

so politics is out.

perhaps i could expound my view

on sacred things i think are true,

but that might make some people mad–

so no religion, too.

and yet, here, on this winter’s day,

there is one thing that i could say

that’s sure to make most people glad–

spring is on its way!

–photo by me